The present invention generally relates to the administration of medical infusion. Medical infusion typically serves to administer medications, fluids, nutrients, solutions, and other materials intravenously to a patient. Patients are often administered medical infusion using intravenous infusion lines. Such intravenous infusion lines generally consist of flexible, plastic tubing connected at one end to a fluid source and at another end to a needle or port that provides access to a blood vessel of a patient. It is not uncommon for many infusion lines, each connected to a different source of fluid, to be used simultaneously to deliver several medications at once to a single patient. It is also not uncommon for the needles or ports to be located adjacent one another, such as multiple adjacent needles providing access into the brachial vein running through the arm of the patient.
Distinguishing between multiple infusion lines is a difficult task, and medication delivery error as a result of improperly distinguishing one infusion line from another is a serious problem in current infusion systems. The confusion of one infusion line from another is one of the leading causes of preventable medication error. It is potentially life-threatening and is a serious and ongoing concern and cost to medical facilities. As a result of the difficulties in distinguishing between multiple infusion lines, their associated fluid sources and outputs, and the potentially life-threatening possibilities that can occur if incompatible medications are injected through the same infusion line, there is a need for accurate identification of infusion lines.